Live Updates: Trump Takes Questions on 10th Day of Iran War
www.nytimes.com

... President Trump told CBS News in the afternoon that "we're very far ahead of schedule" on the war, and stocks rose after an early plummet. He later told Republican lawmakers that the U.S. still had more to do.

Here's the latest. [as of 6:10PM EDT]

President Trump sent conflicting signals on Monday about the duration of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, suggesting that the war could be near an end, and a few hours later leaving the timing open-ended.

The war "is very complete, pretty much," Mr. Trump, who had predicted a duration of four or five weeks, said in a phone interview with the CBS reporter Weijia Jiang. He added, "We're very far ahead of schedule."

...

Tyler Pager
March 9, 2026, 6:10 p.m. ET

When asked if the war with Iran would be over this week, Trump said, "No." He only said "soon, very soon." ...

Trump says it's 'too soon' to talk about seizing Iran's oil -- but doesn't rule it out
www.nbcnews.com

... President Donald Trump on Monday left open the prospect of acquiring Iranian oil as the U.S. proceeds with a war officials have said is aimed at depriving Iran of a nuclear weapon and defanging it so it no longer poses a threat to the U.S. or Middle East neighbors....

GOP-led Arizona election review closely matches Biden's winning margin (September 2021)
www.politico.com

... The tally from the review, which was backed by the Republican-controlled state Senate but has no bearing on President Joe Biden's long-official victory in the state, found Biden defeated former President Donald Trump in Maricopa County by about 45,000 votes, a slight increase of Biden's margin from the official count. ...

"You don't have to dig deep into the draft copy of the Arizona Senate/Cyber Ninja audit report to confirm what I already knew -- the candidates certified by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General -- did, in fact, win," board chair Jack Sellers, a Republican, said in a statement. "This means the tabulation equipment counted the ballots as they were designed to do, and the results reflected the will of the voters. That should be the end of the story." ...

Trump says "the war is very complete," and he's considering taking over Strait of Hormuz
www.cbsnews.com

... The president said the U.S. "could do a lot" about the strait and threatened Iran if it inhibits the waterway. "They've shot everything they have to shoot, and they better not try anything cute or it's going to be the end of that country ... If they do anything bad, that would be the end of Iran and you'd never hear the name again." The president also said the strait is open now and claimed ships have been entering the strait, but said he is still "thinking about taking it over." ...

Trump says U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is "very far ahead of schedule"
www.cbsnews.com

... Trump says U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is "very far ahead of schedule"

President Trump told CBS News that he believes the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is "very far ahead of schedule."

"I think the war is very complete, pretty much," he said. ...

Fox News apologizes for showing old video of a hatless Donald Trump at a dignified transfer ceremony
apnews.com

... Fox News apologized for airing old video of a hatless President Donald Trump during coverage Sunday of his attendance at the dignified transfer ceremony for U.S. soldiers killed in the Middle East war, insisting it was an honest mistake.

In a polarized time, some online critics suggested without evidence that it wasn't an error " that the network was trying to make Trump look better by not showing him wearing a baseball cap during what is considered one of the most solemn duties of a commander in chief. The return of the bodies of six soldiers took place Saturday at Dover Air Force Base.

But Fox News said archival footage of Trump at an earlier ceremony was inadvertently pulled up by a staff member and used on two Sunday morning telecasts. A spokeswoman noted the correct footage was used at other times, including on Saturday.

"We regret the error and apologize for the incorrect footage," Fox said in a statement. ...

Putin Asks Russian Oil, Gas Firms to Use High Prices to Cut Debt
financialpost.com

... Russia's President Vladimir Putin urged nation's oil and gas producers to take advantage of sky-rocketing commodities prices to reduce their debt, because the spike will be temporary.
Article content

With the Strait of Hormuz being "effectively closed" amid the Middle East conflict, oil production relying on the route "risks stopping completely" within a month, Putin said at a meeting with government officials and energy executives. It will take "weeks, if not a month" to restore liquefied natural gas capacity in the region and it's "impossible to quickly compensate for the lost volumes," he added. ...

Trump says he has a plan for oil prices: "You'll be very happy"
www.cbsnews.com

... Post: President Trump told the New York Post he has a plan to address surging oil prices, as the U.S.-Israeli operation in Iran moves forward.

"I have a plan for everything, OK?" he told the Post. "I have a plan for everything. You'll be very happy."

The president did not elaborate. ...

Saudi Arabia Starts Reducing Oil Production As Hormuz Closure Fills Storage
www.ndtv.com

... Saudi Arabia has started reducing oil production as the near-blockage of the critical Strait of Hormuz starts filling storage tanks, according to a person familiar with the matter, even as it rushes to reroute some supplies through the Red Sea.

The cuts by the kingdom, the world's biggest oil exporter, follow the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq. Some of the countries have been preemptively turning production lower so as not to overwhelm storage too quickly and avoid a complete shutdown of output. ...

Qatar announces arrest of Iran's IRGC sleeper cells
www.aljazeera.com

Enemy within: Counterterrorism experts fear sleeper cells could be poised inside US
www.foxnews.com

Nanci Griffith - Lone Star State Of Mind (1987)
www.youtube.com

Lyrics excerpt ...

genius.com

...
Your phone call took my by surprise
Gee, it's been a long, long time
Since those hot and humid Texas nights
When we went swimm'n in the tide

Corpus Christi seems so far away
And I'm not talkin' 'bout the miles
And there ain't much I wouldn't give today
Just to see one of your smiles

But here I sit alone in Denver
Sippin' California wine
And I've got all night to remember you
I'm in a lone star state of mind
...

Speed of the Sound of Loneliness
en.wikipedia.org

... "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" is a song written by American singer-songwriter John Prine and originally recorded on his 1986 album German Afternoons.

The song was later covered by American singer-songwriter Kim Carnes, who released it as a single from her 1988 album View from the House. Carnes' version reached number 70 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.[1]

The song gained further fame with a duet recording by Prine and American singer Nanci Griffith on the latter's 1993 album Other Voices, Other Rooms[2] and the release of the track as a single. ...

abc7ny.com

...A protest outside Gracie Mansion ended with six people in police custody after suspicious devices were launched into a crowd on Saturday afternoon.

The organizers and those who showed up for the protest faced some opposition as the two sides began to argue and chaos ensued. Two people are accused of throwing a suspicious device that began to smoke.

NYPD took down a man who they say lit and threw the suspicious device near East 87th Street and East End Avenue on the Upper East Side, fueling tense moments where anti-Muslim demonstrators and counter protesters collided. ...

Moments earlier, police say cameras captured the suspect, a counter protester identified as Emir Balat, 18, getting a second device from Ibrahim Nikk, 18, and igniting it, sending a cloud of smoke into the air. Police arrested both suspects.

"The devices, which were a bit smaller than a football, appear to be a jar wrapped in black tape...importantly with nuts, bolts and screws, along with a hobby fuse that could be lit. At this time, we do not yet know whether the devices were a functional improvised explosive devices or hoax devices," said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

According to investigators, known agitator Jake Lang organized a 'Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City' protest with about 20 people around 11 a.m. Saturday. More than 100 counter protesters with 'Run the Nazis out of New York City's Stand Against Hate Group' demonstrated nearby.

Police were desperately trying to separate the two sides.

Shouts and fights broke out with protestors parading racist imagery. Pepper spray filled the air, sending people to their knees in tears. Police arrested four others, including the person with the anti-Muslim protest who used the pepper spray.

The chaos upended livelihoods. ...